Illegal IDs

I've noticed WCOD (actually licensed to Hyannis) IDs as WCOD DENNIS-Hyannis (ILLEGAL!) Do any other stations do this, and why do they do this? I'm gonna report this to the FCC now...

Tomgsinger said:

I've noticed WCOD (actually licensed to Hyannis) IDs as WCOD DENNIS-Hyannis (ILLEGAL!) Do any other stations do this, and why do they do this?

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Because 99.99% of the world, including the FCC, doesn't care -- just as long as the call letters and COL are in there somewhere.

Some AM stations include the "-AM" as part of the ID. One example local to me is KTAR Phoenix, which IDs as "KTAR-AM Phoenix." Not technically legal, but the required information is there. WBBM Chicago has also done this off and on since the 1970s.

Another, this time on TV, is our local NBC affiliate, KPNX Channel 12. For 50 years, starting from the time it moved out of Mesa (its COL), it identified as "KPNX (KTAR-TV until 1979) Phoenix/Mesa," rather than the correct other way around. They didn't fix it until the analog signal was shut off in 2009.

The bottom line is, as long as everybody knows what station they're watching or listening to, who gives a flying fig?

I'm gonna report this to the FCC now...

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Lighten up, Francis! Your protest will probably be noted and ignored.

BOMBA-FM. They ID the 2 main stations (WMRQ HD2/HD4 Waterbury, WBMW HD4 Pawcatuck) correctly along with their 5 translators, but then they say WSPR 1490 AM in Springfield. 1490 AM has always been licensed to West Springfield. And they leave out WSPR's translator. The WSPR call letters and the BOMBA format were once on 1270 AM which is a Springfield licensed radio station.

Nobody gives a crap (except the people of the FCC) about the call letters or COL. Hell some people don't even care about branding. And just refer to the frequency. Same with TV. Most of the time I'll say "It's on Channel 61. Not calling it FOX 61".

But how does Dennis relate to WCOD (besides being where it's transmitter is)? Are they still in the 70s* or something?

* Or whenever the COLs were based on xmitter locations

A station that I formerly worked for gave their ID as "(call letters)(dial position)(city of license)." I tried to get them to fix it, but they wouldn't. If they didn't give a damn, then why should I? If it's illegal, let the FCC bust them on it. I don't give a damn either, anymore.

Is a station required to include its presence on an HD subchannel? At the top of the hour, WQXR identifies its calls as well as those of WQXW (Ossining), but does not mention its transmission on WNYC-FM HD2.

Kemosabe said:

Is a station required to include its presence on an HD subchannel? At the top of the hour, WQXR identifies its calls as well as those of WQXW (Ossining), but does not mention its transmission on WNYC-FM HD2.

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It is possible to simulcast completely except the legal ID. Long ago, we had an AM daytimer that returned to simulcasting the FM but there was no mention on the FM legal ID. The AM ran its legal ID. If you're only listening to WQXR or WQXW but not WNYC-FM HD2, the latter could be doing the same thing.

I've always wondered how some stations can get away with their legal ID's at :45 or so. When I was working as an OM in radio, the rule was "legal ID's should be placed as close to the top of the hour as possible"
and it seems to me that unless you run albums continuously without interruption (very rare), most stations could greet the top of the hour within a few minutes either side. Perhaps nobody cares about this and perhaps the FCC doesn't care either as long as there is a legal sometime during an hour.

Often, stations will run their legal ID at approximately :50 and then a false ID at the top. For example, Z100 (many years ago) used to ID at :50, "WHTZ Newark, New Jersey, New York and Connecticut's hot rockin' Z100" The "Newark" was slurred. Then, at the top it was, "from the top of the Empire State Building. Z-100 New York."

Illegal ID?

You are listening to pirate station KRUD, 100.3, a service of Corsair Media.

A more concern is why has WCOD played a 16 year old hit by Michelle Branch "All You Wanted" 10 times, in the last 5 hours?? Looking at their recently played list.

seatownmedia said:

I've always wondered how some stations can get away with their legal ID's at :45 or so. When I was working as an OM in radio, the rule was "legal ID's should be placed as close to the top of the hour as possible"
and it seems to me that unless you run albums continuously without interruption (very rare), most stations could greet the top of the hour within a few minutes either side. Perhaps nobody cares about this and perhaps the FCC doesn't care either as long as there is a legal sometime during an hour.

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Another exception allowed is religious broadcasts. This one station where I live would start a sermon or whatever you want to call it at 8:30 on a Sunday and he would go until 9:30. I have no idea why I knew when it ended but I remember him politely saying his time was up, after he had been ranting for an hour about the biggest sin committed by churches today, worshipping on Sunday when Saturday is the Sabbath.

And if he got to go from 8:30 to 9:30, with his attitude you would be afraid to interrupt him with a legal ID.

Sonic37 said:

A more concern is why has WCOD played a 16 year old hit by Michelle Branch "All You Wanted" 10 times, in the last 5 hours?? Looking at their recently played list.

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I once heard a station in Youngstown, Ohio play Paul Simon's Kodachrome five times in an hour.

They were doing a live remote from some car dealership. I think somebody left a box of records
back at the studio.

Actually, the wording is on the hour or as close to the top of the hour at a natural break in programming. If a program begins at 8:30 and does not end until 9:30, then you don't have to interrupt the program. If I was them, I'd do an 8:30 ad 9:30 legal ID. The FCC does not make 'exceptions', because the way they wrote the rule, an exception is not needed. I worked a small market station where a local church did a 15 minute program after the 7:45 am News that usually ran to 7:52 or 7:53. My boss said to do a legal ID on each side of that 15 minute church program just to be on the safe side.

b-turner said:

The FCC does not make 'exceptions', because the way they wrote the rule, an exception is not needed.

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I saw it somewhere, but they don't have to do it during religious programs.

That wording is not in the rules and regulations. I do recall a classical station getting fined a few decades ago for not doing an ID during the entire length of an opera. The FCC said since operas had acts, the end of an act represented a natural break in programming. I recall one station cited for no ID during a classical piece that was about 100 minutes in length. The station argued to interrupt for a legal ID would be disruptive to the listener noting it was, I think, Biber's Musical Calendar that offer movements reflective of the annual seasons. The FCC agreed with the station on that one.

As for singling out a type of programming, there might have been a decision rendered after a station was cited for no legal ID because of a religious program that had no breaks. That would be very possible although it seems so rare for the FCC to decide to fine a station for a lack of legal IDs or their placement. The only ones I've seen are from maybe 40 years ago.

It seems like the oldies station does not air a LEGAL ID when they air AT 40 The 70s on Saturdays 9AM-Noon and Sundays 9PM-Midnight.

Normally this is what the top of the hour (or close to it) is like on said station.

*NEWS SOUNDER* KOOL 990AM and 96.1 FM News Update.
1 Min Pre-recorded News from Westwood One.
1 Min (or 2?) Network Commercials from Westwood One.
******SOMETIMES A PRE-RECORDED WEATHER FORECAST AIRS HERE*******
*ROBOTIC VOICE* The Greatest Hits of All-Time.
LEGAL ID. WNTY and W241CG Southington and streaming worldwide and KOOLOLDIESRADIO.NET KOOL 990 AM and 96.1 FM.
*SINGERS* Another Hour of Music Power.

Meanwhile, WPRX New Britain or Berlin or wherever the COL is, which had its license revoked months ago, continues to broadcast on 1120 with tropical music, advertising including national McDonald's spots, and Hartford Yard Goats baseball in Spanish. For all intents and purposes, it's a pirate operation now, and the TOH ID reflects it. I listened from 2:45 to 3:15 this afternoon, and the ID at just before 3:00 was "La Puertoriquenisima!" with no call or city.

I understand the hoops the FCC must jump through when trying to get a pirate shut down. But can anyone explain the lack of action against a station that the FCC itself pulled the license from yet remains in operation and, apparently, making money? What must the FCC do to get a station it's basically slapped the death penalty on to pull the plug?